SLASSCOM’s Xcellerate program powering Sri Lanka’s Next Wave of Investment-Ready Startups
SLASSCOM’s Xcellerate Accelerator Program is reshaping Sri Lanka’s startup ecosystem by fast-tracking MVP-stage tech startups into investment-ready, scalable ventures.
Focused on software, digital platforms, and emerging hardware, it equips founders with the structure, mentorship, and market access needed to scale with confidence.
Startups receive targeted growth training in scaling strategy, market expansion, and investor readiness.
Founders gain one-on-one mentorship from industry leaders, with a sharp focus on refining pitches, strengthening financial narratives, and unlocking funding with support extending beyond the programme to sustain long-term momentum.
Since its inception in 2023, in collaboration with IFC, and the government of Japan, the program has supported over 80 startups, creating jobs, and contributing to Sri Lanka’s digital economy.
With focused handholding and acceleration support provided by nVentures, standout startups such as Dossiers, Shopbook, and Prologics in Fintech are advancing financial inclusion, while Flash Health is expanding healthcare access and strengthening enterprise technology, each contributing across sectors critical to the country’s economic growth.
Building on this, in partnership with the Royal Norwegian Embassy (RNE), the 2026 cohort is now underway, supporting 21 high-potential tech startups through mentorship, workshops, and investor-focused engagements designed to sharpen business models and accelerate growth readiness.
The structured learning pathway covers Ideal Customer Persona (ICP) definition, pricing strategy, VC evaluation, investor pitch preparation, and financial forecasting.
A Post Programme founder survey recorded an Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +60 — top quartile globally versus the industry average of +40 — with mentor accessibility rated 4.2/5.
Beyond acceleration, Xcellerate bridges early-stage innovation with sustainable commercialization, fostering collaboration between startups, investors, and ecosystem enablers toward a globally competitive startup landscape.
As Sri Lanka builds its position as a digital innovation hub backed by growing tech talent and increasing global investor interest, initiatives like Xcellerate are central to transforming bold ideas into scalable enterprises that compete on the regional and global stage.
This is further reinforced by success stories such as Flash Health & ExamHub which went on to gain global recognition by winning at the World Summit Awards 2024.
“Xcellerate is a structured pathway that enables Sri Lankan startups to think bigger, build stronger, and scale faster,” said Shehani Seneviratne, Chairperson, SLASSCOM.
Haridhu Abeygoonaratne, Vice Chair 2, added that “we’re seeing a clear shift: startups are no longer just building products, they’re building defensible IP and structured businesses that investors can confidently back and scale.”
“SLASSCOM onboarded us as its Acceleration Partner for Xcellerate, combining structured learning with real investor exposure.
The program equips founders with insights on traction, pricing, and storytelling.
Consistently high mentorship ratings across cohorts highlight the effectiveness of this model in supporting startup growth and investment readiness.
The fact that founders across three cohorts rated this mentorship in the top quartile tells us the model is working.
We’re honoured to be part of what SLASSCOM is building,” said Chalinda Abeykoon, Managing Partner, nVentures.
SLASSCOM Xcellerate Accelerator empowers startups with mentorship, and exposure, transforming ideas into scalable ventures while fostering innovation, investment readiness, and contributing to Sri Lanka’s digital economy.
